~ Let's part ways

“What the hell is going on?” Ryan asked Ivy after the doctor attended to her. Guilt crept into him as he looked at the bandage on her forehead. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why Larisa has changed. She used to be so kind.”

When he went to the parking lot, he thought he saw Larisa pulling Ivy out of the wheelchair. He got so nervous that Ivy would get hurt.

After all, she hurt her legs because of him. He wouldn’t want her to get hurt because his wife got jealous.

“I hope you can forgive her. She usually doesn’t get worked up,” Ryan added.

They were in a VIP hospital room with Ivy lying on the small hospital bed since they had left her wheelchair.

Ivy smiled and grabbed Ryan’s hand, saying, “Hey, don’t get it wrong. This is not Larisa’s fault. I fell on my own… it seems my wheelchair has some problems.”

Ryan’s eyes widened slightly. He asked, “Are you saying Larisa didn’t push you?”

Ivy shook her head, biting her lower lip. She replied, “No, she didn’t push me. Please don’t blame her for this. I don’t want the two of you to have a misunderstanding because of me.”

Ryan furrowed his eyebrows. He recalled how he had roughly pushed Larisa away. He didn’t even turn to see if she had hurt herself when she fell on the ground.

Who knew he had misread everything and blamed her for something she didn’t do?

Guilt crept into him. ‘Come to think of it, I overreacted without finding out what happened,’ he mused.

“I had no idea…” He murmured.

Ivy gave him a sweet smile and said, “You should go to her and clear up the misunderstanding.”

Ryan glanced at Ivy. He thought Ivy was still as considerate as she used to be. Nodding, he uttered, “I’ll go and see her but first, let me take you home. We left your wheelchair at the company. I’ve called someone to get you a new one since that one is faulty.”

“Ok… I can wait alone though… don’t leave Larisa alone for too long,” Ivy remarked.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll explain to her and she will understand,” Ryan replied.

…

Meanwhile, Larisa met her best friend at a cafe before going home.

“What? You’re pregnant?” Bianca’s eyes widened into saucers. “That’s incredible news!”

A sad smile crossed Larisa’s lips. She said, “I don’t know if it is… you were right about last night. The man you saw was Ryan. It turns out the woman he was with is the woman he has always been in love with.”

“What the hell?” Bianca hissed. She clenched her hands into fists and asked, “Is he cheating on you with his old love?”

“I don’t know. I always knew there was no love between us but it hurts to confirm it. Perhaps I should do what I have been delaying to do all this while,” Larisa responded, her heart clenching.

“Are you crazy? Why would you leave your marriage? Especially now that you found out you’re pregnant? Being a single mother is tough, hun. I say, get rid of that homewrecker. You’re the legal wife here!” Bianca proclaimed. “If you can’t tell her off, I can do it for you.”

“And then what, Bee?” Larisa shook her head. “You should have seen how worried he looked when he thought I had pushed her. He didn’t hesitate to push me for her sake. I don’t think I can handle seeing him defend her… moreover, I can only keep a man who wants to be kept.”

Bianca felt bad for her friend. She nodded and remarked, “Try to tell him about your pregnancy. I’m sure the temporal excitement he’s having at seeing his old love will disappear once he knows he has a child on the way.”

Larisa placed a hand on her belly and caressed it slightly. She recalled how hard Ryan had pushed her away. He didn’t even try to check on her to see if she was ok… what if he didn’t want to have a child with her?

He may end up asking her to get rid of the baby so that he could be with the love of his life.

Shaking her head, Larisa said, “I’m not going to tell him about the pregnancy. He never wanted to marry me in the first place… I’m sure having a child with me is the last thing he would want right now. I’ll only get in the way of his happiness.”

Bianca sighed heavily. She realised that Larisa had made up her mind, so there was no use in talking her out of it.

“I’ll support whatever decision you make, hun. Just know that I want you to be happy,” she remarked.

...

A little while later, Ryan returned home and found Larisa waiting for him in the living area. Looking at her, he recalled how he treated her earlier and his heart was completely filled with guilt.

“Larisa, look, about earlier, I’m-”

“I’ve got something to tell you, Ryan,” Larisa said, cutting off Ryan’s words.

She had a look of determination on her face as she got to her feet and gave Ryan the documents she had in her hands.

Ryan frowned in confusion as he looked at the documents. He asked, “What is this? Is it work? Can’t it wait till tomorrow? I wanted to us to talk about-”

“No, it can’t wait. These documents are my resignation and divorce papers. Let’s part ways, Ryan. It’s been long overdue,” Larisa proclaimed. "Let's get a divorce."

~ Kidnapped

A divorce?

Ryan couldn’t believe his ears.

That wasn’t a word he was expecting to hear coming out of Larisa’s mouth.

He took a look at the documents in his hands and sure enough, they were divorce papers and Larisa’s resignation letter.

He glared at Larisa and questioned, “Are you throwing a tantrum because of what happened earlier today? Is that why you’re giving me these documents?”

Larisa shook her head and replied, “It’s not that. I’ve been wanting to have a divorce for a long time now. Now that Ivy is back, you can freely be with the woman you love.”

Ryan scoffed. He tore the documents in half, making Larisa gasp.

“Why did you do that? You don’t love me, why won’t you divorce me?” She yelled.

There was a desperation in her voice that even she was aware of. Her heart was racing and aching at the same time.

This was because, in their three years of marriage, Ryan never loved her. He had never opened up to her or showed her any affection.

Larisa was madly in love with him and that’s why she agreed to marry him, hoping that if she was devoted to him and loved him unconditionally, he would learn to love her.

Alas... three years had passed and Ryan’s heart was still as cold as ice. No matter how much she tried, Larisa couldn’t make her husband love her.

“Please, Ryan. Let me go so that you can be happy,” Larisa added in a low voice, her eyes watering with tears.

“Never. Divorce? You want a divorce?” Ryan sneered. “After ruining my life you think you can just wake up and demand to divorce? In your dreams, Larisa.”

“Why? Don’t you want to be with Ivy? Isn’t it why you spent the night with her last night?” Larisa couldn’t help but yell.

“Ah… so this is what this is all about? This is no time for unnecessary jealousy, Larisa. I didn’t do anything with her… Ivy wasn’t feeling well after her welcome party and I had to stay with her in the hospital. She was discharged in the morning,” Ryan explained.

Larisa clenched her hands into fists. She spat, “I don’t care about your explanations. There’s no love between us. It’s better to end this marriage.”

Ryan got closer to Larisa and grabbed her chin. Tilting her head up to stare into her hazel eyes, he declared, “I’m the one who’s going to say when this marriage will end. I don’t ever want to hear you speak about divorce, you hear me?”

“The woman you love is back and it’s clear you will never fall in love with me, why delay the inevitable?” Larisa questioned, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Her heart ached.

She felt like someone was squeezing it with a metallic hand.

Ryan didn’t love her but he didn’t want to let go of her regardless. It was hard to tell what he really wanted. He wanted to be with Ivy, right? Isn’t that why he rushed to her the moment she returned?

Ryan’s eyes softened when he saw the tears in Larisa’s eyes. He cupped her face and wiped them away with his thumbs before saying, “No one is getting a divorce. Grandpa loves you. Let’s not worry him with petty issues.”

Larisa was about to reply when suddenly, she smelt a pungent smell emitting from Ryan’s suit. It was a female perfume that she assumed belonged to Ivy Williams.

The perfume was repulsive, accompanied by the knowledge of who it belonged to, Larisa heaved and clamped a hand over her mouth.

She pulled back from Ryan and rushed to the kitchen since it was the nearest.

At the same time, Ryan furrowed his eyebrows. He followed Larisa and found her puking her guts out in the sink.

“Are you ok?” He asked as he approached her and helped to hold her hair back as she vomited.

When she was done and rinsed everything off. Her heart raced… she didn’t know if Ryan had realised she was pregnant.

“What’s wrong? Why are you suddenly vomiting?” Ryan asked again.

“Um… I had some spoilt food earlier today,” Larisa made an excuse.

Ryan narrowed his eyes down at Larisa. “You’re always careful with what you eat, Larisa. Are you hiding something from me?”

Larisa’s heart pounded hard against her ribcage and her stomach formed knots.

‘Has he found out?’ She asked in her mind.

Ryan studied Larisa for a minute. He could tell that she was pale and she looked like she had gained a little weight.

His eyebrows creased as he remarked, “Wait… are you-”

Larisa let out a sigh of relief when Ryan’s phone suddenly rang, interrupting his words.

Ryan frowned and answered the call, “Hello-”

“Mr Kingsley, Miss Williams is missing!” The voice said on the phone.

Ryan’s eyes widened in shock. “What? I’m coming!”

He didn’t even spare Larisa a glance and before she knew what was happening, he had already dashed out of the house with a look of worry on his face.

Larisa laughed at herself. ‘And here I thought he didn’t want to divorce me because he had some feelings for me. Turns out it’s my wishful thinking.’

At the mention of something happening to Ivy Williams, Ryan almost flew out of the mansion just to go and look for her.

Larisa wondered if Ryan would have that same look on his face if she were the one who was missing.

She left the kitchen and was about to head upstairs to the master bedroom. However, she suddenly felt a sharp pain on the back of her head and was plunged into darkness.

~ His choice

Larisa woke up and found herself tied to a chair. It looked like she was in an abandoned warehouse.

She recalled having been hit by a sharp object before she lost consciousness. Could she have been kidnapped?

Immediately, fear crept into her. She yelled, “Where am I? Help! Help me!”

“Larisa, calm down. Shouting won’t help… trust me, I tried,” A familiar voice reached Larisa’s ears.

She turned her head to the right and found Ivy tied to a chair just like her. Her eyes widened in horror.

“What’s going on here? Why have we both been kidnapped?” Larisa asked, her heart racing wildly in her chest.

In her heart, she was worried about the safety of the baby she was carrying in her womb. If anything bad happened to her, she could lose her child.

“Good question,” a man’s voice echoed in the warehouse.

Larisa turned to the source of the voice and her heart raced when she saw four thugs approaching them.

One of the thugs who looked like the leader stepped forward. He had a bald head and yellow teeth. One could smell the alcohol reeking from his body from a mile away.

“Don’t worry, Larisa. Ryan will come and save us,” Ivy said confidently.

'Yes, Ryan, my husband,' Larisa mused, her eyes filled with hope.

However, when she saw Ivy who was also kidnapped, her hope dimmed again.

Larisa pursed her lips as she recalled how Ryan rushed out after hearing of Ivy’s disappearance. She thought bitterly, ‘He would probably only come for Ivy. I’m nothing to him compared to her.’

It didn’t take long for Ryan to arrive at the warehouse. He walked in and stopped in his tracks when he saw the two women tied up in front of him.

He clenched his hands into fists and glared at the thugs. “Let them go! It’s me that you have an issue with. Leave the women out of it.”

“That was fast. It looks like these two women are very important to you,” The leader said as he played with the knife in his hand.

“Let them go now,” Ryan ordered again.

“No can do. Since they seem so important to you, they have become a part of this issue,” the thug remarked. “I’ll give you a chance to save one of them. The other one will remain with us as a hostage.”

“Are you kidding me?” Ryan growled.

“You save one or none at all,” the thug stated. He laughed and said, “Oh, Ryan Kingsley, I would love to see who you will choose. I was going to have a little fun but I suddenly have the urge to know who you love more between the two.”

Ryan coiled his hands into fists. He clenched his jaw as he glanced at the two frightened women.

“Ryan, choose Larisa. She’s your wife! Don’t worry about me…” Ivy Williams remarked, looking up at Ryan with sad eyes.

She looked pale and weak. But she was still so kind and thought about Larisa wholeheartedly.

Ryan’s heart was filled with guilt. His balled fists tightened, threatening to draw blood from his palms.

“Go on, Ryan. You’re allowed to save one woman. The clock is ticking.”

Ryan hissed, his gaze wandering between the two women. Larisa’s heart pounded hard in her chest when she saw his gaze.

However, Ryan only glanced at her briefly, and then said to the thug, "Release Ivy."

Larisa’s heart sank to her feet.

“Are you sure? Is that your choice?” The thug asked, a huge grin plastering his face. He was enjoying this.

Ryan’s jaw clenched harder. His face was devoid of any emotion as he repeated, “Yes, I choose Ivy.”

Larisa’s whole world came crumbling down beneath her feet. She knew this would happen but a part of her hoped Ryan would choose her. After all, she was his rightful wife.

Seeing him choose another woman and leaving her to be the thug’s hostage hurt more than she could imagine.

‘Ryan… was I really nothing to you?’ She mused as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Ryan, it seems that you are as ruthless as rumored." The thug remarked and smiled wickedly. “Are you ok with leaving the other woman with us?”

"Let Ivy go," Ryan demanded coldly.

The thug chuckled darkly and untied the rope from Ivy's body. Ryan immediately took Ivy into his arms, cradling her to his chest like she was a porcelain doll that would break if it dropped to the ground.

"Ryan, you should choose Larisa. I'm a cripple and I'm going to be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. I'm no use to you,” Ivy said in a soft voice.

"Don't worry, I'll get you out of here," Ryan promised before carrying her out of the warehouse.

Larisa had no words. Her heart was broken into a million pieces. The only thing she was worried about was her innocent baby who would be killed because of her foolish love for Ryan.

If she could turn back time, she would never give her heart to such a cold-hearted man.

“Since Ryan has made his choice, I have no intention of letting you live,” the thug declared, playing with his knife as he glanced at Larisa.

“Go ahead. What are you waiting for?” Larisa hissed, glaring at the thug.

“I thought you would beg for your life… I wouldn’t have let you go anyway,” the thug laughed.

He instructed his minions to douse the place with fuel.

“But boss, is this the right thing to do?” One of them asked.

“She wants her gone,” the thug replied.

Larisa heard that but she had no energy to think about what he meant. Her heart was bleeding. Until the very end, she was never Ryan’s first choice.

Why did she live like this? Why did she allow Ryan to treat her like trash? She knew these were her last moments and she had so many regrets.

“Hey, Miss, any last words?” The thug asked Larisa, grinning widely.

Larisa’s eyes fluttered shut, accepting her fate....

Boom!

A powerful explosion shook the ground.

Ryan who was running back to the warehouse was thrown back by the sheer force of the powerful explosion.

He looked in shock at the warehouse in front of him, which had turned into a sea of fire, eating up the whole building.

Larisa, his wife was still in the warehouse.

“Larisa!!”

“NO!!!” Ryan’s anguished cry pierced through the air.